Automatic fishing reel



I Feb. 21, 1939. 5 BLQCKER 2,148,185

AUTOMATIC FISHING REEL Filed Nov. 13; 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ("fuzz/20 6132005 ATTORNEY Feb. 21, 1939. c. s. BLOCKER AUTOMATIC FTSHING REEL F iled Nov.

13, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE AUTOMATIC FISHING REEL Chauncey S. Blocker, Columbus, Ohio Application November 13, 1936, Serial No. 110,762

2 Claims. (Cl. 24284.3)

This invention relates to automatic fishing reels a clutch element I and formed on the drum and and has for the primary object the provision of located within the chamber is a clutch element 8. a device of this character which will provide The clutch element I is slidably mounted on a free spool action to relieve the line of tension so sleeve a carried by the shaft 5 which extends 3 that said line may be free to play out as the fish centrally through the chamber 6 and into a gear 5 carries the bait prior to swallowing said bait and chamber 9 formed in the housing I. The spring also permits the line and bait to be cast freely casing 3 has ratchet teeth to be engaged by a similar to the casting with a conventional castspring pressed dog I0 carried by the housing I. ing reel and which when manually released will The dog engaging the teeth acts to prevent unii automatically wind in the line with constant tenwinding of the spring through the rotation of the 10 sion on the line until the fish is landed. casing 3 so that said spring will be held tensioned With these and other objects in view, this inafter winding for the purpose of driving the vention consists in certain novel features of conshaft 5.

struction, combination and arrangement of parts One end of the sleeve is fashioned with an 1 5 to be hereinafter more fully described and elongated plate 5b formed with slots on the outer l5 claimed. faces 50 in which operate a pair of elongated For a complete understanding of my invention, arms 5d secured to a disk la of the clutch elereference is to be had to the following descripment I. The opposite end of the sleeve 5w has tion and accompanying drawings, in whichsecured thereto a gear 56 operable by a train of Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section gearing hereinafter described. 20 illustrating an automatic fishing reel constructed Journaled in the chamber 9 of the housing I in accordance with my invention. is a brake drum II and said drum is connected Figure 2 is an end view illustrating the reel to the shaft 5 by a train of gears I2. Said train drum and its clutch element. of gears I2 comprises a gear I2a, mounted on Figure 3 is a sectional view through the casing the shaft 5 meshing with a pinion gear I2b se- 25 of the reel showing the brake mechanism and its cured to a gear I20 mounted on a stub shaft connection with the spring driven shaft. carried by the housing: the gear I20 meshing Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showwith the gear 5e secured to the sleeve and with ing the brake mechanism in released position. a gear I2d carried by the brake drum and ro- Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view showing the tatable therewith. Release of the brake drum, 30 brake mechanism and its control which also conas hereinafter described, permits the gear IM to trols the clutch for connecting the reel drum to rotate therewith. This operation permits gear the spring driven shaft. I2a, secured to the shaft, to rotate gears I2b and Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line I20. Gear I2c in turn rotates gear 59 on the 66 of Figure 5. sleeve 5a which rotates the reel drum, the clutch 35 Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view simielements having been previously actuated to lar to Figure 6 showing the clutch engaged. engage each other as hereinafter described. A Figure 8 is a detail sectional View illustrating spring pressed pivotally mounted brake shoe I3 the means of placing a drag on the reel drum. is located in the chamber 9 to engage with the Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line drum II for the purpose of preventing unwind- 40 9--9 of Figure '7. ing of the spring 4. One end of the brake shoe Referring in detail to the drawings, the nu- I3 is in the form of a heel I4 engaged by a toe meral I indicates a reel housing equipped with I5 of a pivotally mounted lever I6 having a a conventional type of mounting 2 for securing finger piece I'I extending outwardly of the chamsaid housing on a fishing rod. The housing I at her 9. When the lever I6 is positioned to engage 45 one end thereof rotatably supports a spring casthe toe I5 with the heel I4 the brake shoe I3 is ing 3 to which is secured one end of a clock ty e forced out of engagement with the drum II.

spring 4, the other end of which is secured to A clutch lever I1 is pivctally mounted in the an anchoring hub fixed on the end of a drive chamber 9 and is connected with the clutch eleshaft 5 rotatably supported by the housing I. ment I and is provided with a cam face I8 en- 50 Journaled on the shaft 5 is a reel drum 9a, the gaged by an arm I9 carried by the control lever housing I being cut away to expose the drum for IS and is also engaged by a spring I9 acting to the purpose of permitting the fishing line to disengage the clutch. When the control lever wind onto and off of the drum. The reel drum I6 is positioned to apply the brake shoe to the is provided with a chamber 6 in which is movable brake drum, the arm I9 engages one of the faces 55 to disengage the clutch element 1 from the clutch element 8 thereby freeing the reel drum so that the latter is free to rotate relative to the shaft and permit casting to be done with the reel and to permit the fishing line to play out when the fish strikes the bait and runs therewith prior to swallowing the bait. As soon as the fish swallows the bait the operator actuates the lever l6 engaging the clutch element 1 with the clutch element 8 and disengages the brake shoe from the brake drum. The spring 4 then acts to rotate the reel drum and winds the line thereon until the fish is landed.

A spring arm 20 is located in the chamber 9 of the housing I and may be brought to bear against one wall of the reel drum to place a drag on the reel drum. A finger piece 2| is connected with the spring arm whereby the sliding movement thereof in opposite directions Will bring about increased and decreased pressure of the spring arm against the reel drum. The pressure of the spring arm is to place sufficient drag on the reel drum to prevent the fishing line from unwinding therefrom when using the reel in strong currents of water or in tide Water. The spring arm 20 is fashioned with an offset end section secured to the outer wall of the housing I within the chamber 9 and with an intermediate section extending across said housing and terminating in an arcuate end section engaging the face of the reel drum 6a. The finger piece 2| is fashioned with an intermediate section formed with a grooved collar embracing the walls of a slot formed in the wall of the housing and slidable relative thereto. The inner end of the finger piece is fashioned with a depending section engaging the intermediate section of the arm 20 and movement of the finger piece within the slot serves to adjust the arcuate end of the arm relative to the wall of the reel drum.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. An automatic reel comprising a housing, a spring propelled shaft journaled in said housing, a reel drum journaled on said shaft, a brake drum rotatably mounted in said housing, a train of gears connecting the brake drum to said shaft, a brake shoe engageable with said brake drum and pivotally mounted in said housing, a clutch for connecting and disconnecting the reel drum to the shaft, and a control means connected to said brake shoe and said clutch for effecting operation of the clutch to connect said reel drum to said shaft in advance of the release of the brake shoe from the brake drum whereby upon release of said brake shoe said reel drum is rotated by said shaft.

I 2. An automatic reel comprising a housing, a spring propelled shaft journaled in said housing, a reel drum journaled on said shaft, a brake drum rotatably mounted in said housing, a train of gears connecting the brake drum to said shaft, a brake shoe engageable with said brake drum and pivotally mounted in said housing, a clutch for connecting and disconnecting the reel drum to the shaft, a control means connected to said brake shoe and said clutch for effecting operation of the clutch to connect said reel drum to said shaft in advance of the release of the brake shoe from the brake drum whereby upon release of said brake shoe said reel drum is rotated by said shaft, and an adjustable spring arm secured to said housing and engageable with said reel drum for varying the drag upon the latter.

CHAUNCEY S. BLOCKER. 

